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ACES - European Academic Entrepreneurs Awards 2008 Reveals Six Leading Sponsors Press Release PROVIDED BY Science|Business
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LONDON and BRUSSELS - 21 July, 2008 - Amgen, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Vinnova, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, and The Wellcome Trust, have joined forces to support the first pan-European programme to reward university enterprise, the ACES - Academic Entrepreneurs Awards Europe 2008.
This programme aims at encouraging and rewarding the creativity of European academic entrepreneurs in the following categories, and is supported by organisations representing 25 European universities and engineering schools.
The awards, to be promoted at a series of events and on-line activities through 2008/9, will be judged by the Science|Business Innovation Board, a blue-ribbon panel of industry, academic and policy leaders.
For founders of successful spin-out companies, one each for:
ICT Life Sciences Energy/Environment Materials/Chemistry The Young Entrepreneur The Fast Start (for new spin-outs)
For an individual who enabled campus enterprise
The awards will give public recognition to those researchers, engineers, professors, students and government officials in Europe who have done the most in 2008 to foster a culture of enterprise on campus. This can be through taking the risk of launching a spin-out company, developing a discovery into a marketable innovation (even at the risk of the tenure-track publication record), or promoting policies that create a receptive environment for entrepreneurship on campus.
Unlike other awards, these will focus on university enterprise and look across Europe – furthering efforts to improve the flow of ideas out of European laboratories and into the marketplace.
The prizes are open to academic entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship enablers throughout Europe. Nominations may come unsolicited from individuals using the form (see the Nominations page), or from participating universities and sponsors.
The programme has started on June 10, 2008 at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, and the selection of top prize winners, followed by an Academic Enterprise conference, will be on December 2, 2008 at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm. Winners will be announced at a gala dinner that evening.
Entrants are invited to submit initial proposals by September 30, 2008.
Richard Hudson, CEO & Editor of Science|Business said, "The international support received for the ACES Awards reflects the growing importance of academic enterprise to help innovative ideas getting out of the labs and into the marketplace." A few quotes from the sponsors:
“Amgen is a science-based company committed to research to find solutions for unmet medical needs. The ACES Award ward is very much in line with our culture and mission to stimulate innovation and research and development, and as such we are pleased and honoured to be one of the sponsors in Europe.” Thomas Bols, Director Government Affairs, Amgen International.
“Innovation is the lifeblood of Procter & Gamble. By sponsoring the ACES awards P&G wants to encourage the European scientific community to create value for our societies by participating in turning their huge scientific and technical knowledge into consumer relevant innovations.” Dr. Joachim von Heimburg, Director Corporate R&D, Innovation and Knowledge EMEA, Procter & Gamble.
“The awards is a unique platform to celebrate success in European academia and promote the incubation, clustering and commercialization of innovation. Innovation is the core to our business model and we believe with successful role models and strong partnerships with Universities, Business schools and Institutes the Europe Union can carve out a leadership role in a very competitive global marketplace. Through education and innovation we can find solutions to difficult issues such as climate change or healthcare. Microsoft is honored to sponsor the ACES awards.” Jean-Philippe Courtois, President of Microsoft International.
For more information about the ACES Awards and to enter, visit www.sciencebusiness.net/aces. About the sponsors
Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN), a biotechnology pioneer, discovers, develops and delivers innovative human therapeutics. Our medicines have helped millions of patients in the fight against cancer, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis and other serious illnesses. With a deep and broad pipeline of potential new medicines, we continue to advance science to serve patients. http://www.amgen.com
Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development L.L.C. (J&JPRD) is part of Johnson & Johnson, the world’s most broadly based producer of healthcare products. J&JPRD is headquartered in Raritan, N.J., and has facilities throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. J&JPRD is leveraging drug discovery and drug development in a variety of therapeutic areas to address unmet medical needs worldwide. http://www.jnjpharmarnd.com/
About Microsoft: Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. http://www.microsoft.com
About Procter & Gamble: Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, , Ariel®, Always®, , Pantene®, Mach3®, Pringles®, Lenor®, Iams®, Oral-B®, Actonel®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, and Braun®. The P&G community consists of 138,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. To participate in our quest for improving the lives of the world’s consumers visit our Open Innovation network (Connect & Develop): http:
The Wellcome Trust is the largest charity in the UK. It funds innovative biomedical research, in the UK and internationally, spending around £600 million each year to support the brightest scientists with the best ideas. The Wellcome Trust supports public debate about biomedical research and its impact on health and wellbeing
VINNOVA (Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems) aims to promote growth and prosperity throughout Sweden. Our particular area of responsibility comprises innovations linked to research and development. Our tasks are to fund the needs-driven research required by a competitive business and industrial sector, and to strengthen the networks that are such a necessary part of this work. http://www.vinnova.se
SetSquared Partnership (Universities of Bath, Bristol, Southampton and Surrey)
For further information, contact:Terri Robinson Science|Business +32 484 500 883